The Office Exclusive: Look Who's Returning Next Season as a Series Regular!

Although an NBC rep declined to comment, sources close to The Office confirm to TVLine exclusively thatCatherine Tate is poised to return for the show’s upcoming ninth season as a full-fledged series regular.

Tate’s boss lady Nellie initially received a somewhat chilly reception from her colleagues at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. But by season’s end, the character’s redemption was in full swing as she formed bonds with the likes of Pam and Darryl. In the finale, she even enjoyed a warm moment with Andy after he reclaimed his post as manager (presumably making her his No. 2).

Tate’s return means that all major Office castmembers will be back in the fall with the exception of Mindy Kaling, who is headlining The Mindy Project on Fox. Several new faces are expected to be introduced as well as the long-running comedy undergoes a mini-reboot.

There are literally like three posts on this board from people who actually find this to be good news. I can’t imagine the office writers aren’t aware of how much the fans hate this character and what they’re doing to the show. They must just not care much about what we think.

I thought that she was one of the few people that brought the hilarity last season. You can’t really blame one performer, at least in this case, for bringing down a show. The quality issue lies in the fact that they have no clue what to do now that Michael Scott/Steve Carrell are out of the picture. It was obvious throughout the season. I thought that James Spader was mostly wasted.

The biggest problem with her: scenes with her were never funny in the slightest. Most were ridiculous and some were boring. You never felt like rooting for her like you do with Andy or Michael Scott. It feels like a waste of space and time when there are other Office characters that I’d prefer to see more of.

I’m okay with this as long as they keep her on the normal track. The character she was in Florida made me haaate Nellie, but when they toned her down a bit and had her make some sense, she was really good.

I’ll miss Mindy/Kelly but hopefully she married that guy and dumped Ryan forever.

I wish people would stop tossing out the meme “Jumping the Shark’ without knowing what it actually means. Jumping the shark is a term for when a television show plans a spectacular stunt or gimmick in a desperate attempt to regain their fledgling viewership.

Exactly what gimmick or stunt did The Office pull last season that suggests they jumped the shark? Nothing.

Good examples. I wish they would have just wrapped up this cast and rebooted from scratch. I actually might be more likely to watch in this case. I’ll probably continue to check it out, but mainly because it airs next to Parks and Rec, but I can say with certainty that my Office DVD collection has stopped at season 7.

Most people do indeed know what “jumped the shark” means and when they use that phrase, they are well aware of what they are saying. They simply have no clue what makes a show irretrievably bad. A run of weak episodes is not irretrievably bad, for instance. Jim and Pam getting married did not ruin the show, and Michael leaving wasn’t a death knell (though it was obviously unfortunate). There has been no “jumping the shark” moment in The Office. The writing is merely growing weaker over time and it’s hard as viewers to maintain interest in the same characters doing slight variations of the same things episode after episode. They’ve run out of storylines that can surprise and delight viewers in the way that early episodes did. A “jumping the shark” moment doesn’t feel like it’s terribly far away, but so far the show is simply growing weaker by the season. People who say it has jumped the shark are doing what people like to do online: exaggerating. There’s nothing going on in the show right now that can’t be fixed with reinvigorated writers and perhaps new cast members, but the most likely scenario unless something changes is that this coming season will also be the show’s weakest and final season.

Great observation and explication… (good word huh?) I feel you are right in suggesting some staff be replaced. They should replace the warehouse guy, love him but time to go. Bring back the old ceo turned millionaire who uses the business as a diversion, therapy. Bring in an awkward girl and hook her up with one of Duwites odd brothers/cousins, turn it into a strange maiting ritual… so many possibilities. Whats left for great network 1/2 hr comedy if they let this die?

I don’t find Nellie to be all that funny and episodes focused on her bordered on unbelievable–even for a show where Michael Scott existed for years. I suppose the credit then goes to the better writing and Steve Carrell’s performance.

She started out a little painful. She was really like a female David Brent which felt a little out of place since the American Office had softened the awkwardness over the years. But once she settled in more I started to appreciate her. I agree that her eating the taco was completely hilarious in a way only the Office can pull off.

I cannot watch any episode she is in. I have a friend tell me afterwards whether she was involved in the episode and if so I just delete it off my dvr. So long The Office. It was nice watching you, but that is over.

That massively sucks. They need to start focusing on the amazing characters they already have, instead of trying to make up for the loss of Michael Scott. It’s just sinking the show further and further.

I don’t know if it’s Tate’s acting, Nellie’s character or both, but I hated nearly every scene she was in and the first time in 8 years I had to force myself to watch what once was my comedy favourite.

Liked her character on Doctor Who, but man, I hope they found a way to fix this character because Nellie was one of the worst things about last season. A shame, she was okay during the Florida episodes, but absolutely unbearable when she made it to Scranton.

“Tate’s return means that all major Office castmembers will be back in the fall with the exception of Mindy Kaling, who is headlining The Mindy Project on Fox.”……..Why on earth does her return mean THAT?? And please don’t tell me to go back and read, as I read it three times and still don’t see WHY HER RETURN “means that all major Office castmembers will be back in the fall with the exception of Mindy Kaling, who….”. It seems to me, from what I have read anyway, that it would be bigger news to hear that “all major Office castmembers will be back with the exception of Mindy Kaling”, than it was to hear that this actress would be returning as a regular. This is major-ly confusing. Michael?

I’m pretty sure this is because it was already announced that they all (or at least Fischer, Krasinski, Helms) are returning. So by that sentence, I think they just mean that Tate was the last cast member who might be returning for this season. I could be wrong though.

Really don’t know if Season Nine of The Office may end up being its last since the sitcom hasn’t been the same without Steve Carell and now James Spader & Mindy Kaling who’s now moving on to star in her own sitcom, The Mindy Project on Fox. :-(

It looks like she/NBC/The Office and her PR firm posted phony shill comments in the first 20 or so replies. I’m guessing this site is aware of this and/or even condones it and it gives this site 0 credibility. Seriously do you think your readers don’t notice this!

Earth to Hershon –
There’s this thing that happens sometimes wherein different people have different opinions on things. And because they’re opinions and not factual assertions, none of those people will be right or wrong. Catherine Tate was THE most enjoyable thing about this season for me, and I’m definitely not being paid to say so. You’re welcome to disagree with me.

Oh stop your whining everyone. I didnt care for her character that much either. But, season 8 of the office was still one of the funniest seasons. And to to as well as it did with the main character leaving was amazing. Makes me think of That 70’s show after Topher Grace left it bombed. The Office will not bomb and it hasn’t. If all you complainers dislike the office so much after Carell left, then why are you posting on this article and reading up on the Office news. Go post your complaints somewhere else like American Idol or something. In the famous words of Fez ” I say good day!”.

I know a lot of people hated her character this season, but Catherine Tate is capable of such amazing things. She was hilariously brilliant in The Catherine Tate Show and utter perfection as Donna Noble.

The problem was with the character Nellie and not Catherine Tate, IMO. If Nellie is written well, then Tate will be terrific. I’d like to see Chris Bauer as Harry (the salesman from Syracuse in Turf Wars), become a Season 9 show regular. Bauer proved that he has great onscreen chemistry with the actors who play Jim and Dwight. Chris Bauer plays sheriff Andy on True Blood – the funny, versatile actor has an energy that’s just been missing from The Office!

I hate her character.
The entire Dunder-Mifflin vibe was off last year, with business stuff was totally unrealistic. That’s what made The Office great, it was a gentle satire, not over the top with unbelievable situations (the whole Robert california thing, Nelly taking Andy’s job, California’s post DM plans…some sort of weird sex thing that David Wallace is going to help fund..WTH???)
I’m not sure having Nelly around fixes that.

As a longtime (since season 1) viewer of the show, I actually liked her character. Unfortunately, the writing has been lacking pretty much since the J/P wedding, regardless of whether Catherine Tate was on the show or not. Also, I find it rather unfortunate that they ever changed Andy’s character…he was MUCH funnier before his stint in Anger Management. Now he’s just a largely unfunny tool, and a really poor “replacement” as manager of Scranton.

i didn’t particularly like the andy pre anger management. i felt he was kind of a douche. but i think it is hilarious when he does get mad, and i love it when his singing gets on everyones nerves. what is funny about andy to me is how he tries not to get angry.

I think the saddest part of this whole thing is that the show is coming back at all! I understand that from a business stand point, they want it to keep coming back. But office fans only watch bc we’re loyal. Not bc we enjoy what’s going on! The series finale should have been Michael leaving. Point blank. He finally got what he wanted. A woman to love him back. But the brought it back. And this past season should have DEFINITELY been the last. I can’t even remember a funny sequence from this season. I love andy, he was great as the boss. Almost as quirky as Michael, and then they take him out. When will NBC actually listen to what the fans want??? Please let’s this be the last season!!! How will this show make a real comeback without Michael, and Kelly?

Urg. Not a fan of that lady’s character. I did not warm up to her at all, she just felt pathetic. Like Michael Scott’s horribly awkward moments, but magnified by 100. Just unfunny and bizarre. I don’t know if I can handle watching any more…